Tyson Fury has yet to say whether he will go on to face former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in a “Battle of Britain” in 2025. AJ and “The Gypsy King” are both expected to pocket $100 million. To pick from the Turks of Al-Sheikh in the scraps of their homeland.
The best real UK
This fight will prove who is the better of these two men, but not the No. 1 or even the No. 2 heavyweight in the UK. That's how faded Fury and Joshua are. The top two heavyweights in the UK are Daniel Dubois and Martin Bacoli. Even the inexperienced 20-year-old Moses Itauma might be better than AJ and Tyson.
Once again, it will be a battle of Fury and Joshua over who is the best man between them. It's almost like a senior or celebrity level competition. It's too bad they couldn't fight seven years ago when they were younger and were viewed as top heavyweights in the division. For them to be fighting now, this is strange. I don't know what to call this battle other than the struggle of the ancients.
You can understand why Fury (34-2-1, 24 KOs) might choose to retire rather than face Joshua (28-4, 24 KOs) after being beaten for the second time by unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk on December 21 in Riyadh.
The proud former WBC champion was bitter and in complete denial after his second loss. As in the first battle, he thought he had done enough to deserve victory. Tyson may turn away from principle and refuse to let the boxing world see him fight again.
That would be self-defeating on Fury's part, but it's a predictable move if he's dealing with his hurt feelings. He may choose to get upset and refuse to honor the fans with his presence, as they have something to do with his two losses. He's still just a big kid despite his advanced age.
Assuming Fury returns for dough, he could be the favorite against the 35-year-old Joshua. This does not mean that Fury has better speed, strength or athletic ability than Joshua.
That's how AJ was knocked out in five rounds by his latest opponent, IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois, on September 21. That wasn't even athletic. The resistance to Joshua's punches appeared to be over, as he was dropped four times in the contest before being stopped in the fifth round.
AJ Power
Fury looked vulnerable when taking hard shots from Usyk in both fights, and his resistance to punches appears to have deteriorated from his three fights against Deontay Wilder.
If Joshua can land the same type of right-handed shots that knocked out Francis Ngannou, Fury won't make it past the second round. He won't be able to avoid Joshua's power like he did with Deontay or Wladimir Klitschko. Joshua is not armed, and he will not be worn down by tilt the way Wilder was.
It will be interesting to see how Fury can take on Joshua at full strength in this fight. AJ is going to take the bear in the first round, and I don't see him calming down until he takes a bearded bear.
